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The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend

I’ve seen a few bits about 4chan planning a “genocide” against transgender people by trying to get as many as possible to commit suicide.

One of the things mentioned to do with this is that they, apparently, plan to align with TERFs to do so.

As I’ve already been branded a TERF I wanted to come right out and say, “hell fucking no.”

This particular group on 4chan is a apparently a particularly right wing group, I only say apparently as I’d rather tear my fingernails out than go spend time on there, but I believe it. Especially given the screenshots.

Here’s a few things from my perspective:

I now appear to know, and speak to, a fair few so-called TERFs. As far as I can tell I follow quite a lot of the women who are regarded as epitome of TERFiness. And from what I’ve read of their thoughts and opinions, none of the ones I know are interested in the slightest in a “genocide” against the trans community. Have never seen anyone advocating murder or violence towards trans people.

I’ve seen a lot of analysis of the damage that gender does to trans and “cis” alike, with a focus on how much more detrimental gender is to born women than born men.

I’ve seen a lot of frustration with some in the trans community affirming gender roles by equating “woman” with a particular set of behaviours and fashions. Why wouldn’t there be frustration when RF’s are working so hard to eradicate this idea of women being a certain way only to be undermined by TW?

I’ve seen a lot of anger at the violent language being used towards women by those who were born and socialised as men, eg. “die cis scum”, “DIAF”. Bearing in mind Violence Against Women is a huge part of what RF’s are fighting against this also makes sense.

I’ve seen a lot of anger at TW demanding access to spaces which are safe spaces for born women.

But I have never seen any wishing TW were dead, or actively trying to drive them to suicide. We’ll ignore for now that I have seen AFTA’s trying to drive other TW who follow a RF line of thought to suicide.

Now on to the ever lovely 4chan.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen 4chan be in support of feminism, especially not Radical Feminism. And I’ve definitely never known a RadFem be a supporter of 4chan.

So I find it extremely unlikely that any so-called TERFs would want to get involved with a 4chan brigade.

I also think it is obvious that 4chan will be very much aware of the AFTA/TERF debate, and are just hoping to destroy both TW and feminism in one go. They don’t actually want to align with TERF’s, they want to use them to draw fire from themselves. Let’s face it, they’d love it if they could do serious harm to both groups, then stand back and watch the chaos unfurl. Occasionally stepping in to add fuel to the fire.

So while trans activists and radical feminists may never see eye to eye, mores the pity, let’s not play into those bigoted fuckwits hands ok?

These nasty pieces of work enjoy causing chaos, let’s not let them achieve their goal. For all our differences, this is one time we could maybe be a united front.

I have a lot of love for the trans men and women I know, and would hate to see them harmed.

Even those AFTA’s who are wishing death and harm on my fellow feminists, while I have no love for them and a lot of hatred for the fear they spread, I still don’t wish harm on them. Maybe I’m too much of a hippy at heart.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to quit railing against gender. I’m never going to accept that creating more gender boxes is a better solution than razing all the boxes to the ground.

But I will stand beside the trans community when 4chan come calling. And I’d hope my feminist sisters will be by my side. We can’t let 4chan use us like they want to, especially not if their aim is to cause harm.